After nearly 25 years, Atlanta Rocks! Closed

After nearly a quarter century of helping climbers scale new heights, Atlanta Rocks! Indoor Climbing Gym closed its doors, for the final time, at 6 pm on December 31, 2018.

Our customers, employees, and youth climbing team have, for decades, been part of our DNA and it’s hard to imagine our lives without the gym. But, in the end, the quickening pace of redevelopment of nearby commercial/industrial properties to higher uses, and the uncertainties and rising costs that come with such redevelopment, signaled to us that the time was right to retire from this market.

After nearly a quarter of a century of indoor climbing at Atlanta Rocks!, here are some photos of our closing Gala which was held on Saturday, December 29, 2018! For more photos, please check out the Atlanta Rocks! Facebook page!

Our heartfelt thanks to the Atlanta climbing community for their support these many years. It makes us very gratified to see our efforts result in so many positive life experiences and growth for those who worked for us and attended our events! Atlanta Rocks! was so much more than a business to us. Take care, until we meet again...

Atlanta Rocks! partnered with The North Face for Global Climbing Day (Recap below):

"A big congratulations and sincere thank you to everyone who took part in Global Climbing Day this past August. We had over 40,000 participants join us around the world to take part in this movement. Our goal was to grow, expand, and diversify the climbing community; on August 18 we had 210 gyms activate in over 20 countries across the globe to bring climbers, experienced and new, together to share the values of inclusivity and community that we all find through the sport of climbing.

"None of this would have been possible without your support and enthusiasm. Through the countless photos and recaps we have seen of the day, it’s incredibly clear that we are all part of a powerful global community. Check out the hashtags #climbwalls and #wallsaremeantforclimbing, along with the attached deck that includes a snapshot of some of the activations from Global Climbing Day.

"Again, thank you for joining us for Global Climbing Day 2018! We look forward to working with you in the future."

Richard DeSayles Grey, 59, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, and a long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, passed peacefully on March 18, 2018 after a battle with cancer. To call Grey a renaissance man would be an understatement, for he assembled a resume of skills and hobbies that set him apart from all but a few.

First and foremost, Grey was a teacher and he loved to share his passions with others. Having mastered flying and rock climbing, Grey delighted in helping others excel in those challenging endeavors. Although he claimed to have a fear of heights, Grey logged more than 2,000 hours of flight time as an FAA certified flight instructor, teaching pilots to navigate the skies safely through Aviation Career Enrichment (ACE). As a veteran rock climbing instructor, Grey taught thousands of beginners to climb and belay safely during his 22 years at Atlanta Rocks! Indoor Climbing.

As if those pursuits weren’t enough, Grey was an avid skateboarder with a dozen skateboards to his name. On those rare occasions when his feet remained on the ground, Grey loved to build model airplanes and trains, enjoyed photography and grew vegetables in his garden. He also loved talking with people in far-away places on his HAM radio.

Richard DeSayles Grey was preceded in death by his mother Johnnie Blye Wilson. He is survived by his cousins Cathy Crawford, Carolyn Creagh, Veronica McCovery, all of Mobile, Alabama, Lynette McCoy of Maricopa, Arizona, along with countless friends he met along the way.

Grey was laid to rest — adorned in his flight jacket and aviator’s cap — next to his beloved mother at Mitchell Cemetery in Blandon Springs, Alabama on March 24, 2018. A Celebration of Grey's life will be held at Atlanta Rocks!, 1019A Collier Road, NW, Atlanta, GA, on April 10, 2018 at 7 pm.

Atlanta Rocks! and ACE will be donating money to offset the cost of a headstone for Rich. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Marjorie Perry at (404) 822-7674.

Photos above are from Richard Grey's Memorial Service at Atlanta Rocks! on April 10, 2018.

If you would like to view or download a copy of Grey's memorial program, please click here.

VoyageATL Magazine writes about the hidden gems of Atlanta and the surrounding areas – from the best restaurants and nightspots to the best places to shop or get your yoga on. Atlanta Rocks! is pleased to have been chosen for a recent interview (Greg Perry & David Turrentine) which you can read here.

Atlanta Rocks! is pleased to be recognized as one of the 30 best birthday party spots in Atlanta for kids by MommyNearest.com! Atlanta Rocks! has been the host of thousands of birthday parties since we opened 22 years ago and we pride ourselves on making them all special. Please call us (404.351.3009) to find out more information on our parties or to schedule yours today. You can see all of the selections and read the full article here.

After nearly a quarter century of helping climbers scale new heights, Atlanta Rocks! Indoor Climbing Gym closed its doors, for the final time, at 6 pm on December 31, 2018.

As Atlanta’s first indoor climbing gym, Atlanta Rocks! has gratefully served the Atlanta climbing community since opening our first location in the 1990’s. Over the decades, we’ve had the honor of teaching tens of thousands of people how to climb; employed more than a thousand of the best employees on the planet; and hosted countless events including birthday parties, scouting events, fundraisers, bar mitzvahs, concerts, summer camps, lock-ins, climbing competitions and more. We are especially proud of our youth climbing team. Every year they have represented Atlanta Rocks! well and have made us proud.

To our customers, employees, coaches, and climbing team, we are thankful for all of you and it has been our honor to help grow and serve the Atlanta climbing community. ... See MoreSee Less

Thank you for a wonderful chapter of my life&excl;&excl; Many climbers and every other local gym owes a debt of gratitude to Atlanta Rocks&excl; You inspired a community of climbers&period; Thank you&excl;

Thank you for being the building blocks for the climbing community in this city&excl; I know I’m not alone when I say my life wouldn’t be the same without the influence of this gym and the people I met there&period; ❤️

I got to visit your gym once on a road trip&period; I'm glad I got the chance when I did&period; You are all awesome&excl; Best wishes Atlanta Rocks&excl;

It’s a sad day&period; Y’all gave me a chance when nobody else would’ve&period; Goodness knows where I’d be right now if things had swung some other way

My heart&excl; Ugh&period; We really do love you guys

Thank you for all you did for the climbing community&period; I have special memories of Atlanta Rocks&period; We moved away 7 years ago&comma; and I’m sad I didn’t get to come back to climb one more time&excl;

It’s so weird&excl; I can’t believe you have to take all that down too&period;

Over the years, Atlanta Rocks! was pleased to be a destination for many big life changing events. The gym engagements were particularly special. One climber who proposed to his wife on route twenty-six, found out Atlanta Rocks! was closing and asked if he could get the route number to surprise his wife. Today Greg cut out the route number and presented it to him. ... See MoreSee Less

Thank you very much Atlanta Rocks&excl; I surprised Kate Scott with the "26" tonight over dinner and she was speechless&period; Thank you for being such a great and lasting memory for Kate and me&period;

Ugh wanna of my favorite moments at the gym&period; I was so happy to be apart and help outs with that magical moment for that couple&period;

Awesome&excl;

As the sun sets on Atlanta Rocks! for the last time, we reflect on the outpouring of love from our community and we are overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you to our staff, customers and fans for 24 years of glory. ... See MoreSee Less

You gave my son and so many kids and teens a constructive place to be&period; I cannot thank you enough for all that you have provided the Atlanta community&period; I will forever be grateful to you&period; I hope you have a tiny sense of what you have given all of us&period; Thank you&excl; You have made a tremendous difference&period; Bless you all &excl;&excl;&excl;

Thankful to have been a part of it&excl;

All the families you helped&period;&period;&period;&period;love you guys

Atlanta Rocks team&colon; I salute you&excl;

It was a great facility overall&comma; but thanks especially to all who were involved with the Youth Climbing Team&period; That was such an excellent resource and experience for my son as his first "team thing"&period; The coaches were always incredibly patient and supportive&comma; especially with the extra activities they offered&period; I wish them all well in their future endeavors and will forever be grateful for the time and effort they spent as coaches for the team&period;

Here are some Atlanta Rocks&excl; Closing Gala photos&period; Our heartfelt thanks to the Atlanta climbing community for their support these many years&period; It makes us very gratified to see our efforts result in so many positive life experiences and growth for those who worked for us and attended our events&excl; Atlanta Rocks&excl; was so much more than a business to us&period; Take care&comma; until we meet again&period;&period;&period;

This time last year we found out Rich Grey had cancer. What we didn't know was we would lose him just a few months later. He worked and taught classes for us for 22 years. He has been sorely missed and today we want to recognize him as we wind down. Until we meet again Rich old friend. ... See MoreSee Less

Hope the Nicros wall services you well &period;&period;&period;miss the days of building those puppies sad to see it go

You guys brought indoor climbing to Atlanta and forever changed the lives of many people&period;&period;&period;mine included&excl; Thank you for your dedication and hard work over the last 24&plus; years&period; The Atlanta Rocks legacy will live on forever in our hearts and minds&excl;

Thank you to all who came last night&period; It was great to see so many of you&period; We have always known we were changing lives all those years&comma; but it was heartwarming to hear so many stories of gratitude for what it did for so many for such a long time&period; We have loved serving this community and we thank you again from the bottom of our hearts&period;

Sorry I couldn’t make it&period; Pinched nerve in my right shoulder&period; Looks like you all had fun&period;

Some of our earliest Youth Team members from 96 and a few years after. They are older now than we were then.🤔 ... See MoreSee Less